Whilst the battles rages for MotoGP™ supremacy and the title race intensifies, testing continues to find the ultimate edge of performance over rivals. Yamaha have been keen testers in 2025, with their V4 engine taking centre stage for official test rider Augusto Fernandez, whilst Andrea Dovizioso backs up the development work too. We’ve put together a timeline of Yamaha’s V4 ambitions so far, to see just how much effort and commitment they putting into the switch from their traditional inline ideology and methodology.

SEPTEMBER 19^th, 2024: the first confirmation

It was during the Emilio Romagna Grand Prix in 2024 – just after the Misano Official Test – that ex-Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Lin Jarvis confirmed that a V4 engine was in the works. Talking about it then, he said: “About the rumours of V4 that we’ve read about recently in the media… it’s true. We’re busy developing a V4 powerplant. It goes back a while; when Suzuki were here, there were two manufacturers running with the inline and the others running with the V.

“Since Suzuki dropped out, we’ve been the only manufacturer remaining with the inline four and, in our opinion, it still hasn’t plenty of capacity to be developed and improved. However, when our competitors are all with the V4 and we look towards the 2027 regulations, it’s important for us to fully understand the potential of a V4 vs an inline four. We took the decision some time ago to start the project, so the project is on schedule.”

THE FIRST TEST: Fernandez takes to Valencia

At a private test at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Yamaha hit the track in April to take full advantage of development concessions. Augusto Fernandez was out on track with the V4, its first public appearance. Yamaha riders were quizzed about it ahead of the Spanish GP at Jerez but remained tight-lipped, adding to the intrigue.

TESTING CONTINUES: Barcelona welcomes more development

Continuing to get the groundwork done and with a constantly evolving set of upgrades, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya welcomes more testing but this time with two test riders. Fernandez is joined by fellow test rider Andrea Dovizioso – who was present but not riding at the Aragon Test. Both work on the V4 machine whilst Prima Pramac Yamaha riders Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira stick with the inline four, albeit with updates.

V4 VS INLINE: key differences

A V4 engine has its cylinders placed in a V shape - two facing forwards, two facing backwards- and in MotoGP almost all V4s have a 90º V-angle. An inline-4 is exactly that, with all your cylinders arranged in a line across the frame. V4s due to their shorter and lighter crankshaft excel on corner exit due to faster acceleration than their inline counterparts. However, the heavier and longer crankshaft of the inline-4 results in greater mid-corner speed and stability. In MotoGP, V4s are used by all manufacturers except Yamaha and have won every Grand Prix since 2023’s season opener. The last inline-4 to win was in 2022 in Valencia with Alex Rins on a Suzuki. In qualifying trim, the inline-4 can exploit all of its strong points, while in a race time battle it finds itself struggling to match the acceleration and top speeds advantages of a V4 - and straights are generally easier to pass on than corners - hence compromising where the inline-4 can make the difference.